Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: How Can a Venerable Be Disrespected?

The fragrance of the elixir stretched seventy zhang, plunging the area into silence.

The eyes of Alchemy Masters like Highland, Fu Shan, and Lü Dong were filled with deep shock.

Even for Du Wanqing, known as Luoyang’s foremost Alchemy Master, the fragrance of the High Grade Elixirs he refined only ever reached fifty to sixty zhang.

Seventy zhang. He had already surpassed Du Wanqing.

"From this moment on, I suppose the title of Luoyang’s foremost Alchemy Master belongs to this boy now," Lü Dong said, his voice strained.

"That’s not necessarily true," Fu Shan countered. "Du Wanqing still manages to refine a few Treasure Elixirs every year."

"Brother Fu, you may not know this, but while Du Wanqing can refine a few Treasure Elixirs each year, he relies on an ancient Elixir Liquid. This liquid can enhance an elixir’s quality. He stumbled upon it in an ancient cavern, and it’s a finite resource; once it’s used, it’s gone."

Highland, who knew some of the inside story, explained slowly, "Without that Elixir Liquid, how could Du Wanqing possibly refine Treasure Elixirs? In other words, purely in terms of alchemical prowess, this boy is the true foremost Alchemy Master of Luoyang!"

Highland’s words deeply shook everyone present.

Du Wanqing had been on the pedestal as Luoyang’s foremost Alchemy Master for over a decade. Was he really about to be replaced by a teenager today?

"Even the Pill King Lu Changsheng of old was seventeen when he became an Alchemy Master. The High Grade Elixir he refined back then produced a fragrance of merely forty zhang, and he was hailed as a heaven-sent genius."

"This boy is even younger than Lu Changsheng was, and his talent for alchemy is a cut above!"

"Does this mean that, given time, this boy will become the next Pill King?"

The voices of the Alchemy Masters trembled. The talent Ning Jiang had displayed was simply terrifying.

Compared to him, Yan Ziling’s achievements suddenly seemed paltry.

Yan Ziling was already twenty, and the fragrance from his High Grade Elixirs reached only twenty-five zhang. The gap between him and Ning Jiang was immense.

’Seventy zhang... How could he possibly have done that?’

On the high platform, Yan Ziling’s face was pale and his fists were clenched. Disbelief was written all over his handsome features, and under the immense shock, his expression even became somewhat savage.

He was a Grandmaster Disciple, guided by a renowned master since childhood, and had become an Alchemy Master at twenty. Such talent was enough to rank him in the top five among the younger generation of Alchemists in Cyan Cloud Country.

But now, he had been utterly defeated by Ning Jiang.

A complete and utter loss, without a hint of suspense.

A seventy-zhang fragrance. Even the Lu Changsheng of old would have been no match for Ning Jiang.

"Yan Ziling, you lost."

Ning Jiang’s voice was terrifyingly calm, betraying no emotion. "As we agreed, you owe me your life."

Yan Ziling shuddered, and the faces of the people around them showed even greater horror.

If Yan Ziling were to die here, the Grandmaster behind him would surely fly into a rage.

Yan Ziling’s face was ashen. From the very beginning, he had never even considered the possibility of losing.

"You want to kill me?"

Yan Ziling’s eyes narrowed, and he suddenly grew bold. "True, I lost. But I am a Grandmaster Disciple. If you kill me, you will have to suffer a Grandmaster’s wrath. Now that I’ve said that, do you still dare to act?"

If an Alchemy Grandmaster were to get angry, all of Luoyang City would be turned upside down.

Having an Alchemy Grandmaster behind him was equivalent to possessing an Immunity Token.

Even an Innate Limit Strong Person would have to think carefully about the consequences before trying to kill him.

"Yan Ziling, I actually had no intention of taking your life. I rarely kill people, and when I do, it’s only those who have crossed my bottom line."

Ning Jiang’s voice was ethereal, as if it came from the heavens, dispelling the tense atmosphere. "Actually, if you just give me the Thousand-year-old Blood Lingzhi you’re carrying, I’ll let you go."

"You want the Thousand-year-old Blood Lingzhi? Fine."

Yan Ziling assumed Ning Jiang didn’t dare to kill him and sneered inwardly. ’When it comes down to it, he’s still afraid of the Grandmaster behind me.’

"What a pity... that you insisted on seeking death!"

Suddenly, Ning Jiang’s tone shifted. In that instant, Yan Ziling felt Ning Jiang’s aura transform, as if countless blades were bursting forth to give him a death by a thousand cuts.

And his gaze was like a ten-thousand-year-old winter wind, containing not just indifference, but also an indescribable deathly stillness, like a frozen lake in winter—cold, desolate, without a single trace of life.

Under that gaze, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning and couldn’t help but take a step back.

But he quickly recovered, feeling that his retreat was a great humiliation. Enraged, he spat, "You dare?"

SHIING!

The only answer Yan Ziling received was the ring of a sword.

The longsword left its sheath, swift as a thunderbolt.

PCHT.

The tip of the sword plunged into and pierced through Yan Ziling’s throat.

Blood sprayed forth like shattered jade flowers.

Yan Ziling’s mouth fell open, his eyes wide with shock.

"Hard to believe? You asked me if I dared, so I’m showing you the answer with my actions..."

Yan Ziling’s astonished face was clearly reflected in Ning Jiang’s emotionless, night-dark eyes. "I dare!"

"You’re not afraid... of a Grandmaster’s wrath?"

Yan Ziling’s eyes bulged, his voice coming in fits and starts. Even now, he couldn’t believe Ning Jiang had actually killed him.

He was backed by a Grandmaster!

"Yan Ziling, you have no idea what kind of existence I am. What does a Grandmaster matter? I am..."

Ning Jiang paused, and an arrogance that looked down upon the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers blossomed in his profound gaze. "A Venerable!"

How could a Venerable be so lightly insulted?

In Cyan Cloud Country, everyone knew that a Grandmaster could not be insulted.

But who among them knew that a Grandmaster’s fury only splatters blood five paces away?

But when a Venerable is angered, the heavens collapse, the earth splits asunder, a million corpses lie in their wake, and blood flows for a thousand miles.

Yan Ziling’s greatest mistake, the one he should have avoided at all costs, was provoking Ning Jiang.

A hundred thousand years ago, there were some Venerables who, if provoked, would not only kill the offender but also exterminate their entire clan.

Among Venerables, Ning Jiang was considered good-tempered. He did not kill lightly, and only targeted those who had wronged him. But once he decided to kill, his target could not escape death, no matter if they fled to the heavens above or the earth below.

Ning Jiang had no intention of killing this time, but when Yan Ziling asked if he dared, he was simply courting death. He had no one to blame but himself.

As everyone stared at Yan Ziling’s body on the high platform, a dead silence fell over the area.

Countless gazes turned vacant with shock.

Ning Jiang had actually dared to kill Yan Ziling with a single sword strike in front of everyone.

This was a Grandmaster Disciple!

With the Energy an Alchemy Grandmaster commanded, once he became enraged, countless people from all over Cyan Cloud Country would come to kill Ning Jiang.

How could Ning Jiang be so audacious?

What gave him the confidence to stand against a Grandmaster’s wrath?

"A madman. He’s a complete madman."

Fei Hai’s body trembled uncontrollably. Even if he had a hundred times the courage, he would never dare to kill Yan Ziling. Yet Ning Jiang had done it just like that, without a single trace of hesitation from beginning to end.

At that moment, he felt a surge of relief that he hadn’t completely antagonized Ning Jiang, or he too would have died by his hand.

"It’s him! The White-haired Ghost Ning Jiang!"

Someone had recognized Ning Jiang’s identity from the sword strike he’d just delivered.

Yan Ziling’s own strength wasn’t bad, no weaker than a candidate for the Ten Greats, but Ning Jiang had killed him with a single, casual sword strike.

A full head of white hair, combined with such a terrifying Sword Technique... the description only fit the White-haired Ghost Ning Jiang, who had recently caused a sensation in Luoyang.

"He was too impulsive. He shouldn’t have done that."

Wei Yanran’s face was pale. Even this normally composed Iceberg Beauty could sense that the situation had taken a disastrous turn.

Even she would never dare to kill Yan Ziling. If she had, not even Du Wanqing could have protected her. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Do you have any idea what kind of trouble your brother has caused? He’s stirred up a massive hornet’s nest."

Wei Yanran looked at Ning Yu’an, but on her face, she couldn’t see the slightest trace of panic. Instead, there was a look of pride.

"That’s my little brother, completely fearless. All of you thought he wouldn’t dare, but he did it anyway. Wei Yanran, let me tell you, you have always underestimated my little brother!"

Ning Yu’an said proudly. She remembered back at the Drunken Moon Pavilion, when Ning Jiang was only at the Qi Cultivation Third Level, he had dared to challenge Zhou Wenhao, one of the Ten Greats, to a battle to the death.

Wasn’t that invincible spirit exactly the same as what he showed just now?

As for the consequences, she didn’t care.

A Grandmaster’s wrath might be terrifying.

But she would not be afraid. No matter what Ning Jiang did, she would support him. If worst came to worst, she would die with him.

Atop the high platform, Ning Jiang’s gaze swept across the crowd.

At this moment, no one dared to meet that calm, placid gaze.

Fei Hai lowered his head deeply, his body trembling. Ning Jiang had even killed Yan Ziling; he was terrified Ning Jiang might casually slaughter him as well.

But from beginning to end, had Ning Jiang ever even registered Fei Hai’s existence?

He walked down from the high platform. As he moved, the crowd involuntarily parted, clearing a path. Wherever he went, no one dared to stand in his way.

"Sister An, let’s go," Ning Jiang said, walking up to Ning Yu’an.

Ning Yu’an nodded and looked at Wei Yanran. "You can fulfill your end of our bet now. I don’t think a proud person like you would go back on her word."

Wei Yanran pressed her lips together and said slowly, "Your alchemy skill is superb. I am far inferior to you. I apologize for what I said earlier."

As she spoke, she sighed inwardly, her heart heavy with dejection.

All this time, her talent for alchemy had been considered the best of the younger generation in Luoyang City. She hadn’t even been discouraged when she lost to Yan Ziling.

But the talent Ning Jiang displayed made her feel an insurmountable gap. This was a talent that far surpassed even that of Pill King Lu Changsheng!

Although she was known as the leading figure among Luoyang’s younger generation of Alchemists, such a title seemed so insignificant when compared to Ning Jiang. freewёbnoνel.com

At this moment, Ning Jiang had already surpassed her own master!

However, Ning Jiang showed no reaction to the Iceberg Beauty’s apology. He didn’t mock her or even speak, simply giving a nod before preparing to leave with Ning Yu’an.

Wei Yanran was taken aback. She could have accepted it if Ning Jiang had mocked her.

It was being completely ignored that made her feel so awful.

"You should leave Luoyang City as quickly as possible, or Grandmaster Tan Jinglin will not spare you," Wei Yanran couldn’t help but call out to Ning Jiang’s departing back.

"A mere Grandmaster? What is there to fear?"

Without turning back, Ning Jiang left the Pill Conference.

Watching his back, for the first time, Wei Yanran felt that Ning Jiang wasn’t arrogant, but possessed a greatness so profound she couldn’t even hope to look up to it.

The fifteenth day of the twelfth month.

Bamboo Sea Manor, the Pill Conference.

Ning Jiang ascended to the throne of Luoyang’s foremost Alchemy Master.

Thereafter.

He slew a Grandmaster Disciple with his sword.

Once the news spread.

Luoyang was thrown into an uproar!